Another scary role for Claudine

Claudine Barretto may have inspired fear in Sukob as bodies of her loved ones mysteriously disappear  because of a doomed marriage. In the ABS-CBN mini-series Maligno which premieres tomorrow, April 28, she takes that fear to the next level as she confronts the devil face to face and nurtures his son. Her character battles with fear of the unknown head on.

Maligno is the second installment of Sineserye Presents: The Susan Roces Cinema Collection. The first was Patayin Sa Sindak Si Barbara which starred Kris Aquino and Jodi Santamaria. The mini-series also marks Claudine’s TV comeback after giving birth to her and husband Raymart Santiago’s son Rodrigo Santino.

“I’m a Christian. My character dealing with demons, though imagined, is difficult for me,” answers Claudine when asked the challenges of playing Angela, the demon child’s predestined mother. The role was originally portrayed on the big screen by Susan Roces and won her a FAMAS Best Actress award in 1977.

“I asked my pastor if I should go on. He believed that I’m equipped emotionally, spiritually to do the role. We pray before we begin to shoot the scenes, especially the ones that could provoke and invite spirits. There are Bible verses I pray and recite on my mind. They are verses that will protect me. In the end of the day, it’s just a role and what matters is how strong my faith in Him is,” adds Claudine.

Maligno the mini-series is a far cry from the movie. New characters will be introduced to make the plot  thicker and satisfy the audience’s constantly-changing viewing habits and interests. After all, 31 years from the time it was first shown in theaters is a long time and somewhere along the way, many things have happened.

Maligno is a new interpretation of the Celso Ad. Castillo masterpiece. Direk Wenn Deramas says the Claudine starrer remains faithful to the screenplay, but the twist lies on the how the story is being retold. Maligno is about an ambitious TV host who doesn’t have the slightest clue she is carrying the fallen angel’s son. She questions her faith and existence as all the signs are revealed to her. Also in the cast are Diether Ocampo, Gerald Anderson, Kim Chiu, Rafael Rosell, Rio Locsin, DJ Durano, Arlene Tobias and Carlo Lacana.     

Based on its pilot episode previewed recently, Maligno reminds one of Final Destination and Omen. The intention to scare is not hard sell. It is as engaging as Sukob. That’s why Susan Roces who was also present during the screening gave the mini-series two thumbs up and approved of the changes made in the retelling of her movie.

“It’s my first project after giving birth,” says Claudine,  who was last seen on TV with another ABS-CBN drama Walang Kapalit opposite Piolo Pascual. “Nadagdagan ang inspirasyon ko to do better. My being a mother has given me depth in playing Angela. I hope I will give my audiences better performances.”

Which is more challenging: Drama or horror?

“I had a hard time doing horror,” replies Claudine. “In Sukob, we had to shoot a sequence in different angles and I had to give the same emotion and intensity each time. Maligno requires me to use my imagination. I tape thrice a week. Both are emotionally and physically draining.”

Does she expect to snag an acting award the way Susan did years back?

“Like I always say, it‘s every actor’s dream. The audience will also decide on that.”